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| The closed Washington Park Zoo railway station (Melissa Darby photo) |
From 1960 to 2013, the 2.5-mile Washington Park Zoo Railway route
into Forest Park was perhaps Portland’s greatest family entertainment. Youngsters loved the open-air cars and
passengers of all ages enjoyed the trees and spectacular views of the Rose
Garden, downtown Portland and Mt. Hood.
Alas, construction changes at the zoo led to closure of the park
loop in 2013. Though a smaller loop
still runs within the zoo’s boundaries, it doesn’t capture the majesty of the
longer route with a stop as the now-closed Washington Park station.
Could the bigger loop be restored? A special committee meeting in an obscure
government room could prompt the Portland City Council and the Metro regional
government to consider the train’s revival and hold public hearings to consider
it.
From 1960 to 2013, the 2.5-mile Washington Park Zoo Railway route
into Forest Park was perhaps Portland’s greatest family entertainment. Youngsters loved the open-air cars and
passengers of all ages enjoyed the trees and spectacular views of the Rose
Garden, downtown Portland and Mt. Hood.
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| Map shows current and former zoo railway routes |
Officials at the Oregon Zoo, a branch of the Metro regional
government, are not keen on the idea.
Though the train was always considered a profitable venture, they don’t
see it as playing a role in the zoo’s mission related to animal preservation
and education. Further, they worry about
maintenance and operational costs.
However, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel,
so to speak. The train, tracks and route
are owned by the City of Portland, dating back to the era when the city owned
the zoo. Train advocates think the city
and Metro could create an intergovernmental agreement in which a non-profit
entity would be in charge of operating and maintaining the train and tracks.
At a recent meeting, Rick Gustafson, a former Metro
executive director, said the intergovernmental agreement with a non-profit
operator is how the Willamette Shore Trolley operates. He recommended the same
strategy for the zoo railway.
Kathy Goeddel, president of the non-profit Friends of
Washington Park Zoo and Railway, said the longer ride is preferred by riders by
a 4 to 1 margin. “We need to give
everyone the ride they want,” she said.
Key members of the current task force are Olivia Clark, a
Portland city councilor, and Christine Lewis, a Metro councilor. They likely will have to become advocates of
the long route if it has a chance of being revived. The public likely will not have a chance to comment unless those governments decide to hold public hearings.
---Fred Leeson
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